Contributing writer Bonnie Cranmer
At the meeting on Thursday, Jan. 2, the Craig County Board of Supervisors again heard from the land use group with more details on the potential impacts of changing the land use-value real estate tax rates. At the Dec. 5 work session, Virginia Tech’s Director of the Land Use-Value Assessment Program, Jennifer Shaver Friedel, J.D., provided information regarding the Virginia state regulations and the impacts to surrounding areas which have adopted the changes. At this month’s meeting, landowner and farmer, Jim Joyce, presented facts demonstrating the disparities in how the real estate tax reassessments have impacted farmers. “In my case, our 138-acre farm was assessed at a 92% increase, resulting in a tax increase of $839.15 over the previous year even after our Board of Supervisors gave everybody a break by lowering the tax rate to $0.52 per $100 of assessed value,” Joyce stated. “Our house and barns, which were assessed independently from the farm acreage, went up only 32% in value and the actual tax bill increased $109.49 from the previous year,” Joyce continued.
Several other voices were heard from stating other perspectives. The importance of good, clean air, water and soil was noted by Nan Gray, who thanked the Board for remembering that. “We’re all struggling,” said Kathi Toelki, who works with the farmers market, FFA, 4H and other groups as a volunteer and farmers’ advocate. “Farming is hard,” Toelki continued. “We’ve got to get the next generation involved.” More funding for the county from other sources was mentioned, along with the fact that Craig County has the highest percent of national forest lands (67%), and a population less than 5,000.
Joyce has heard the question, “What’s it going to cost me?” from many in the community. “Based on the excellent statistics analysis presented, the answer is that a $200,000 residence will be taxed an extra $20 for each percentage point increase in the real estate tax rate, or worst-case increase of $80 in the event of a 4 cent per $100 increase.” Those figures and other statistics were provided to the Board in an informational packet from the land use group.
In other business, Jordan Labiosa stated that a public town hall event will be held on Thursday, Jan. 9 at 6 p.m. inside the Craig County High School cafeteria to provide information about changes at the PSA. The Executive Board issued a statement earlier this month with the news of the PSA changing to a new partnership with the Western Virginia Water Authority. The town hall event will be an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the transition of services and management.
